Could A Sales Boom Put A Dent In The Exclusivity Of Mercedes-AMG?

After all there is a reason why Ferrari and Lamborghini set sales caps.

In a world that’s constantly changing, there is just a handful of things we can be certain will remain the same well into the future, or at least into the near future. One such constant is the fact that the Earth is round (sorry Flat-Earthers), another is that the sky is blue, and yet another is that Mercedes-AMG churns out are desirable cars that, barring any significant changes to the tuner’s recipe, will remain so without letting quantity dilute the quality or exclusivity of the brand.

That’s actually a legitimate concern that quite a few high-end automakers have, with Ferrari not too long ago after carefully considering how decreasing the gap between supply and demand would affect the value of its brand. According to a recent interview with AMG boss Tobias Moers, learned that Mercedes has no such fear, even with sales . “It’s all about the strategy," said Moers. "We have increased the number of 63 models and we can now exploit 43 models too.” Though the halfway house 43-badged models may initially appear to be AMGs for those on a budget, Moers insists differently.

He claims the cars are actually built as a gateway for those a bit weary about stepping into the sports car realm with what boils down to a four-wheeled rocket. The wealthy who want to have a taste of high performance driving can purchase a 43 model as a sample and if they enjoy it, will be likely to move up to a 63 model. This strategy is a boon to Mercedes, which can now effectively sell two cars to a single customer if the plan works. “For some customers, the C 63 is a little too much, so they start with the C 43 and then move up to the 63 – which also gives us the chance to give even more focus to the 63 models.” Mercedes will always stand as a brand for the exclusive, and the price of its cars as well as the quality will be constant indicators of that.

That might be why Mercedes doesn’t mind selling more AMGs by making its tuning wing grace lower models like the CLA or A-Class with its touch. It's strategies like these that will help Mercedes move more cars and keep growth in the double digits for 2017 after seeing a 44% jump in 2016. Whether you agree with Moers about the value of the AMG brand or not, can you really complain about a plan that puts more German hot rods on the road?